Thursday, February 18, 201
From 5:30 to 7:00pm
On the 3rd floor

Agenda:
5:30 – 6:00 – A light supper will be served – join us for pizza!
6:00 – 6:20 – Principal introductions and welcome; Deb presents math overview
6:20 – 7:00 – Visiting classrooms for some hands on math fun!

Babies / Toddlers are welcome with proper supervision. Please note that no babysitting is available.

The deadline for all applications is February 19th – any applications received after February 19th will automatically be placed at the back of the waitlist.

Download application form here.

Thank you for your interest in Whole Child Alternative School. We encourage you to continue following our website, which will be upgraded in the near future.

This message is to let you know that a decision has been made to cancel the Whole Child School Open House scheduled for January 26th. Due to the extremely high number of sibling registration numbers and the 2010-2011 staffing allocation for our school, there are very few spots available at any of our grade levels. We will still be accepting registrations through the office, where applicants will be added to a Waitlist for next year.

We are sensitive to our larger school community and understand there will be disappointment about the registration situation this year. The decision to cancel the Open House is necessary as we do not wish to raise expectations around registration availability that we cannot fulfill. We don’t expect this issue in subsequent years and hope our school supporters will continue to follow the development and growth of WCS as future opportunities to enroll their children may become available.

Please pass this message along to any parents you know who were planning to attend our Open House. We will be updating the message on our website and Jodi Armstrong will continue to pass along this information to any parents who directly contact the WCS office.

Sincerely,

Shari Walczak
Co-Chair, WCS School Council

Stephen Davies,
Co-Chair, WCS School Council

kindergarten, leaves for the common space tree, fabric to beautify the
classrooms, etc. We will continue to work on some of these projects but now
the teachers have many new requests and projects for us to make. No
experience is necessary! We will be glad to teach you. Feel free to drop by
and check out the action.

If you don’t feel too crafty we also needs help preparing materials for the
weekly “Whole School Craft Studio” session
for grades 1 – 5. This involves things like winding balls of yarn, sanding
knitting needles, threading sewing needles, etc.

When: 9am to 11am on Mondays and Thursdays
Where: Whole Child School – Art Room
(the centre room across from the grade 3 class on the third floor

Please remember to get a volunteer pass from the office before coming
upstairs.

If you are bringing younger children please bring toys and activities to
keep them occupied. Classes will be in session so we have to be
considerate of the teachers and students around us.

• Nomination Forms
• School council proposed structure: committee descriptions
• School council proposed structure: org chart

Here’s what we found out …

Rain Gear

Most rain gear isn’t very durable and contains PVC. One of the problems is that the fabrics do not stretch, so are more likely to rip and constrict movement.

We found Abeko rain gear through their Canadian distributor Puddlegear. It’s 100% waterproof, machine washable, tear resistant, soft and comfortable as well at PVC and pthalate free. Most of the gear is Oko-tex certified, meaning it is manufactured without the use of over 100 chemicals commonly used in the garment industry.

Puddlegear has offered us wholesale pricing for children of WCS families. A 10% markup has been added to the wholesale prices to allow for a small fundraising opportunity for the school. Dressing your children for the outdoors will help support their learning.

Thermal Underwear

There are a lot of options for thermal underwear, including synthetics (polypropylene), silk, wool, cotton and Merino wool. While almost all options work well to keep you warm if you are doing something active outdoors, there is no equal to Merino wool when it comes to keeping you warm when you stop being active but remain out in the cold (which is likely considering what the kids will be up to outside).

Merino continues to insulate when wet, and is the best at wicking moisture away from your body. It is also natural and naturally antimicrobial (smells way way less than the others). Merino wool does not itch for most people, even many who are sensitive to other wools.

We secured a deal on Merino wool thermal underwear by Janus through one of their North American retailers, Skandikids. The deal is a volume discount of between 10 and 20% depending on how much we order. It applies to any Janus products, for kids, youth or adults.

If you know anyone else who might want to make a purchase of Janus product, we can accommodate them through your order. The more we order, the better the deal. Janus fabrics are also Oco-tex certified.

Winter Boots

There are a wide variety of winter boots that work well in the Canadian climate. Our research focussed on easy to put on and take off, warm and durable options. We found that one of the best choices is Bogs Boots.

While we were not able to negotiate any deals on Bogs this year, we have located them at Threads (950/952 Kingston Road), and at Planet Kid and Scooter Girl (both on Roncesvales N. of King). They are very popular, so if you’re interested it is best to act quickly.

If there is interest, we can get a great deal on Bogs for next September (2010) by arranging a volume purchase in November of this year. More details will follow.

How to Order

Last week we provided parents with the opportunity to look at samples and catalogues. You don’t need to have seen them or done anything until now to be able to purchase the clothing though.

Here’s all that needs to be done…

1. There is lots of information on the products on the supplier web pages, visit pubddlegear.com or janus.no
to have a look at what’s available and check the sizing.
We have secured a discount on all the kids rain gear from Puddlegear, and on any of the products from Janus (kids, youth and adults).

2. View the pricelists: janus adult prices, janus kids prices, puddlegear Prices, and then complete the order form.

We don’t necessarily need all orders to be on the order form we created, but it does have spaces for all the information we need. Please either print and fill out the order form or write all the details down. Details required include: item, colour, size, quantity, and price. Make sure you measure your child(ren) and refer to the sizing information provided on the websites to determine the appropriate size.

3. Send the order form along with a cheque for the appropriate amount to school with your child.

The teachers will forward the cheques and forms on to us. Don’t forget to add G.S.T. on all the prices (5%) and P.S.T. on any adult items from Janus (8%). Cheques should be made out to WCS School Council.

All orders are due back to the school by Thursday, October 15th.

We expect we will get the clothes in about two weeks from the date we place the orders. We will confirm orders by e-mail and keep parents up-to-date that way as we learn more about delivery timing.

If you have questions or require any further information, email me at matt.humphries at sympatico.ca.

Offer from Threads to WCS Parents

In building partnerships with the community that surrounds the Whole Child School, we are grateful for the generous support of local businesses.

Some of you met Steve Cross when you came to the first ever WCS curriculum night. Steve is the owner of a local store called Threads Lifestyle located at 950/952 Kingston Road that specializes in outdoor clothing. He has a wealth of knowledge about dressing for the outdoors and we appreciate the time he shared with us.

Additionally, he has made several offers to the WCS community …

” For this season, there is little to no extra product available at wholesale so the only thing I can do is sweeten the Club Threads program, which is the best membership discount program in Canada for the brands we sell:

 

Club Threads
$50 annual membership gets you and your immediate family a discount of 11.5% off all regular price purchases. This wipes out the GST and PST impact and then some. The break point on this program is $400. If you buy less than that, then the membership is not beneficial. For WCS though, I will make the discount 20% for all kids items for this year and the break point on that would be only $250, making Club Threads very worthwhile for most families I would think.

 

Buyback for Kids
Whether you purchase a membership or not, if you register with us as regular customer, we give you an in-store credit on your used/old kids items you bought from us. The credit we give you is equal to 25% of what you paid for it originally. When your child is done with it just wash it and bring it back to us for the credit. This program is for credit only and no refunds are part of it.

 

Looking Ahead to Fall 2010
We will organize better discounts – 30% to 40% off and perhaps even more – for WCS based on parents ordering in November for next fall delivery. More details to follow but this is the way to get the best prices in Canada as I can add the order to my booking and pass on savings. It also better guarantees availability too. We know some sizes ordered will need changing and we have a plan for addressing that; more details to follow once I firm up possibilities with vendors in buying season November.

 

Thanks again, as a small independent retailer we deeply appreciate the local support. It makes a difference. ”

 In this issue: First day of school, class get-togethers, Curriculum Night on Sept 24th, frequently asked questions, requests for help, and a fun fall event in October.

 And they’re off…to school!

The Whole Child School opened its doors on Tuesday for its first day of school. This incredible milestone was reached thanks to the talent and hard work of many people, and we would like to extend a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who had a part in getting the school ready to open – the teachers, staff including principal Teresa Tafaro and the facilities staff including head caretaker Walter Ip, parents and student volunteers, especially the Exterior and Interior Committees, and many others who volunteered time, materials and expertise.  

 During the last few days of summer, there were grade-specific events for the parents, students and teachers to meet. Here are highlights from some of those events:

 JK/SK: Thank you to Sandee and Deb for taking time out of their planning for the school and attending and providing a puppet show which the kids really enjoyed.  The digital scavenger hunt was great way to meet others and the surprise was face-painting.

 Gr 2: Climbing, spinning, laughing.  Sunshine. A roundabout filled with happy children yelling ‘faster, faster’.  This was the scene at the Grade 2 playdate & picnic held in the Measurement Park playground on the Saturday before school started.  We achieved our purpose, having the kids come together, get to know each other and begin their journey as a class in the gentle presence of their teacher, Robyn Stevan Matamoros and with the best wishes from those families, who we missed, that could not be there.  It was “organic” and “spontaneous” for both children and parents alike.

 Gr 3: The Grade 3 event was held on August 27th at 6pm.  It was organized as a Potluck Picnic social, we were fortunate to have 12 families attend as well as Tamara Brodey.  Good time and good food was had by all; the kids got some serious play time, the adults were able to talk and play a bit.  If you were not able to attend, we look forward to seeing you next time. 

 If you have not received communications from your class representative, it’s possible that they don’t have the correct or complete contact info. Please contact your rep at the address below if you haven’t done so already so we can keep you up-to-date:

 The class reps are:

JK: Sean Hurst         simpleexecution@yahoo.ca

SK: Gary Wang         mrgarywang@hotmail.com

Gr 1: Justin Groen     justin.groen@sympatico.ca

Gr 2: Paula Jubinville   pjubinville@aqueous.ca

Gr 3: Amy Goffin       agoffin@sympatico.ca

Gr 4/5: Kristine Quan kdquan@hotmail.com          Note: Kristine is the interim class rep for Grade 4/5 – if anyone is interested in taking on this role please contact her.

 Mark Thursday September 24th in your calendars for the WCS Curriculum Open House starting at 7pm!  This event provides WCS parents with an opportunity to visit the WCS classrooms, hear a bit about what your teachers have planned for their classes, ask some general questions about the classroom environment, and get a sense of what the daily routines are. After the classroom visits on the 3rd Floor, everyone will assemble in the gym for refreshments and a welcome from our principal, Teresa Tafaro.  An information session will follow to discuss plans for the WCS School Council and Committees, as well as a few other informative presentations about WCS initiatives including previewing some samples of Outdoor Wear from vendors with whom we have negotiated group discounts.

 The launch of the school has been very successful, but as with any new endeavour there are still a few questions to figure out, for example: Do the extra clothes and footwear stay at school or travel home each day? What about the art supplies we were going to buy? What’s the exact dropoff protocol? And what’s this about purchasing a recorder? Rest assured that the questions have been heard and answers will be forthcoming shortly.

 For Curriculum Night on Sept 24^th, we are asking for volunteers from each class who would like to bake some treats. Ideally we’d like 2 or 3 volunteers from each grade who are willing to bake and donate approximately 2 dozen cookies, muffins, brownies or other treats to share with the class. If you know what to do with semi-sweet chocolate chips and a 350 degree oven, please contact your class rep.  To go with the treats, we’re also looking for anyone with a large catering-style coffee urn or two willing to donate them for the evening.

 The outdoor committee is still looking for another couple of cable spools to use as tables in the kindergarten area, ideally slightly larger in diameter than the ones already there. If anyone has a contact that could obtain these, please let us know.

 And finally, please circle the date Saturday, October 24^th, from 1:30-4:30pm, on your calendars. We will be having our “Harvest Homecoming” event at the school, a fun festival featuring seasonal events and activities for the kids. Planning has begun but we can always use more ideas and pairs of hands: if you’d like to be a part of it please let us know. More information to come early in October.   

 The Whole Child School has been in the news – check out the following links:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/08/29/alternative-schools-a-class-of-their-own.aspx

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/more-alternative-schools-opening-than-ever-in-toronto/article1278752/

Help us make the WCS News better – please send any feedback or suggestions for the next issue to: brad.clarke@sympatico.ca. Deadline is September 30/09 for Oct issue.

 We also invite you to visit the WCS website www.wholechildschool.ca any time to get information updates, ask questions, and connect with other parents. The current WCS website will be redeveloped and re-launched shortly. The existing website will stay active until the new one is up and running. Stay tuned for more details.

 Have a great month!

Greetings everyone, and hope you are having a great summer so far. Here’s what’s happening in the WCS community this month:

The Interior Space Committee has some information on their weekly craft circle. Learn more at: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/21/weekly-craft-circle/

There is a poll to gauge parent interest in the possibility of doing a bulk purchase of outdoor clothing for kids. More information can be found here: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/16/outdoor-clothing-bulk-purchasing/

It’s great to hear that many families have been meeting each other for playdates or other activities so far this summer. The Social Committee will also be arranging class-specific get-togethers later this month. Please contact the Social Committee class representative(s) for the appropriate grade with your child’s name, your name, phone number and email, in order that they can send event details as they are confirmed.     

The class reps are:

JK: Sean Hurst                  simpleexecution@yahoo.ca

SK: Gary Wang                 mrgarywang@hotmail.com

Gr 1: Justin Groen            justin.groen@sympatico.ca

Gr 2: Paula Jubinville        pjubinville@aqueous.ca

Gr 3: Amy Goffin              agoffin@sympatico.ca

Gr 4/5: Susan Domingue   fsdomingue@primus.ca

Because it’s summer, we couldn’t resist a couple of reruns. For anyone who missed it in the July update, or for anyone new to WCS since then, the following two links contain some key school and program information: 

For anyone who missed the Open House on June 19^th, please read the complete note from the teachers, which also includes valuable information on each area of study at WCS: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/09/news-from-the-teachers/

The teachers have also provided an informative and detailed program overview of the main themes and content grade-by-grade. Please see here for more: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/09/wcs-program-overview/#more-423

Please help us to make the WCS News better – send any feedback to: brad.clarke@sympatico.ca

We also invite you to visit the WCS website www.wholechildschool.ca any time to get information updates, ask questions, and connect with other parents.

Have a great month!

Right now we are meeting Wednesday evenings – please contact laram@rogers.com  or  genevievelennox@hotmail.com to get the current time and place.

July 2009    VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

Welcome to the first edition of the Whole Child School News, our monthly roundup of news and information for the WCS community. For this summer, our main focus will be the work being done by the various committees, and seeing how we can all pitch in to help the school get ready for September. Once the school year starts, we’ll continue with committee updates, and also be adding a calendar of key upcoming dates for school events along with other information.

Teachers:

We would like to announce the teachers who will be teaching at WCS in its first year of operation. We have already established a strong team and a number of us have been working on the curriculum and vision for over three years. We work as a team and our individual teaching strengths and specialties will be shared with all the students in the school.

Sandee Waite — full-day Kindergarten Teacher –kindergarten specialist and yoga teacher

Deborah Adelman – half-day Kindergarten and French Teacher – specialist in Waldorf education and French

Karina Filipzcuk – Grade One Teacher – literacy and inquiry-based teaching and learning specialist

Robyn Stevan Matamoros – Grade Two Teacher – specialist in drama, art and handwork and in Waldorf education

Tamara Brodey – Grade Three Teacher – visual arts and inquiry-based teaching and learning specialist

Marcia Mcvean – Grade Four/Five Teacher – music and social studies specialist

Tom Parker – music and gym specialist

From the entire WCS community, a warm welcome to all the WCS teachers.  In addition, we are excited to announce that Jodi Armstrong (whom most of you met during student registration) has been hired for WCS Administrative Support.

For anyone who missed the Open House on June 19^th, please read the complete note from the teachers, which also includes valuable information on each area of study at WCS: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/09/news-from-the-teachers/

The teachers have also provided an informative and detailed program overview of the main themes and content grade-by-grade. Please see here for more: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/09/wcs-program-overview/#more-423

The Interior Space Committee has created a list of items needed for the school. Please review to see if you can meet any of the needs:

http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/06/17/request-from-the-interior-space-committee/#more-263

The Exterior Space Committee has been busy. They also have listed ways in which we can help provide for the school:

http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/06/19/exterior-committee-how-you-can-help/

The Exterior Space Committee’s June update:

http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/06/19/exterior-committee-june-update/

And some important information on clothing requirements:  

http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/06/19/dressing-for-the-outdoors/#more-331

Childcare committee:

A report on childcare options has been sent to the WCS mailing list. Please email info@wholechildschool.ca if you require a copy.

Busing Committee:

They are working to find solutions for parents who require transportation for their child(ren). They will be contacting everyone who completed the transportation survey with the available options as soon as possible.

Fundraising Committee:

A fundraising package is being developed so that committees will be able to approach potential donors and sponsors for WCS needs. This package and more fundraising information will be distributed to each committee when ready.

Social Committee:

Thanks to all who attended our Welcome Picnic on June 7^th at Ashbridges Bay, and the WCS Open House on June 19^th. It was great to meet parents, teachers and children and get a first look inside the building. With summer vacations happening now, the main focus of the Social Committee is to organize grade-specific ‘meet and greet’ events prior to the School Opening in September. Stay tuned for more information…

And finally, here’s a great chance to store and display those great summer photos and while also helping WCS: we’re having a silent auction for a Sony digital photo frame. Deadline for bids is July 24^th. Details and bid information are here: http://www.wholechildschool.ca/2009/07/08/silent-auction-picture-perfect-digital-display-from-sony/

So many things have been accomplished and there is so much more to come!  Over the summer months, we invite you to visit the WCS website www.wholechildschool.ca as a central location for information updates, asking questions, and connecting with other parents.

Have a great July!

Kindergarten

Welcome to our kindergarten community! We are very excited about embarking on our first year of WCS with you and your family. We would like to share a few highlights from our kindergarten curriculum with you.

Kindergarten at WCS will be a unique experience for your child because it will be mainly situated in the outdoor classroom. We are in the process of developing and establishing an outdoor learning space in the Roden playground. We will spend three days a week in the playground, and some of this time will be spent inside listening to stories, participating in circle times, languages and math activities, music and gym.

In our outdoor classroom, we will set up centres where the children can learn, discover, explore, and engage in imaginative play. Two days a week, we will take the kindergarten children off site, to local natural, environments. We will need parent volunteers for these days.

The offsite kindergarten days will be filled with exploration of nature, guided nature hikes, and age appropriate environmental project learning about their natural world. These experiences will deepen their understanding and connection to the outdoor world.

Sandee and I are very excited about developing and implementing this new innovative concept of an outdoor kindergarten in Ontario. We are aware that this framework will present challenges and we will need to be flexible as it is an emerging concept. We look forward to your positive participation as we build this new program.

Other aspects of the program are crafts, cooking, music circles and oral story telling about the natural world around them and folk and fairy tales. Sandee will be leading the children in yoga exploration using the imagination and stories to learn about yoga postures, meditation and breathing. Not only will the children learn that yoga connects mind and body, but that it is a connection between themselves and their environment and the principles of interdependence will become apparent.

Deborah will be teaching the children French through drama, songs, movement and poetry.

Math concepts will be embedded in activities that include natural materials and manipulatives that teachers and students will choose to interact with. Through exploration, play, problem solving, and literature children will learn to sort, count, pattern, measure, compare, predict and communicate their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts. Children will have many opportunities to develop and solidify their learning through the repetition of play-based activities.

Grade One

Welcome to our grade one community! We are very excited about embarking on our first year of WCS with you and your family. We would like to share a few highlights from our grade one curriculum with you.

Grade one at WCS is filled with stories and imaginative characters. Folk and fairy tales from around the world engage the students in learning imagining, and discovering their world. Through these stories, our children learn to read, write, sing, draw and play. In grade one, we honour and nurture the magic and wonder of early childhood,

Through storytelling, the children will learn about Perry Plus, who loves to gather more and more things, Matthew Minus who always looses everything, Max Multiplier who skips and counts to get places quickly, and Dominique Divide who likes to lead as well as share his earthly goods.  The children will become closely connected to these characters as they learn to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

In language arts, it is the characters from folk and fairy tales that animate and bring to life the consonants, consonant blends, and word families for the children. The Golden Goose for example, becomes the letter ‘g’, as they playfully re-enact and retell the story. The children will learn their basic reading and writing skills, as we will follow the Ontario Curriculum guidelines.

It is in the outdoor classroom imaginative stories about nature help connect the children to the natural world around them. The science strands for grade one are the following: the needs and characteristics of living things; daily and seasonal changes; energy in our lives. These science strands will be taught in the outdoor classroom.

Some elements of math will also be explored in the outdoor classroom, such as data management and probability. For example, the children will be given opportunities to count and document different species of butterflies or trees. Patterning and algebra will also be taught outside by looking at patterns of animals and trees, and in the urban environment.

Grade one is a special time for building community and the grade one children will find themselves as part of a larger school-wide community as the older children mentor and guide them in their social relationships. In our classroom the children will explore and discover how to build a harmonious classroom community with their teacher and peers.

In the spring term, the class will prepare and perform a play based on a fairy tale called “The Magic Horse.”

Grade Two

Welcome to our grade two community! We are very excited about embarking on our first year of WCS with you and your family. We would like to share a few highlights from our grade two curriculum with you.

Much of our curriculum follows a transdisciplinary approach. Broad themes integrate subjects and provide a framework for learning, exploration, inquiry and discovery. Some of the themes for grade two are the following:  Studies of different communities around the world through integrative units which will immerse us in a particular culture for a time, a review and ongoing development of language and math skills through imaginative stories and play, the study of air and water and their properties through experiential learning, art and outdoor experimentation, and the study of animals and their habitats through nature walks and field trips. 

In the First Term, we will ground ourselves by exploring our local urban community. We will be going on many community walks to understand better where we live, and the diverse cultures around us.  We will start with exploring our own backgrounds and ancestry (through collecting stories from the elders in our lives), after which we will begin to understand more about the First Peoples of this land, and from there, the many other peoples that came to this country.  Each Language Arts unit will have a central cultural theme through which we may immerse ourselves, through storytelling—the telling of a biography of a sage from that culture, (for example, Mirabai, a 16^th century East Indian poet), and also through the music, art, and trickster tales from that culture (in this case, tales of Krishna).      

Our Math work will also tie into our cultural themes, such as patterning and geometry through the fabrics we find or make, or measurement through the cooking and baking we will do.  During the first term, with the changing of the seasons, and the migration of some birds and animals, we will begin our exploration of the Life Sciences and through our studies, foster a respect and appreciation for the world of the animals. 

In the winter term, we will be spending time outside exploring the nature of water in all its forms, through play, experimentation and structure-building using snow and ice.  We will also have a chance to buddy up with the grade 4s to work on building some simple machines. 

In the spring term, our focus shifts to working on our year-end play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare.  We will explore the rich language of Shakespeare, and in turn be inspired to play with words, write letters, and create our own poetry.  We will immerse ourselves in the world of the fairies, and we will plant a butterfly garden to see what magic will come our way!  Grade 2 is a magical time, so what better way to finish our year than through wonder and enchantment!

Grade Three

Welcome to our grade three community! We are very excited about embarking on our first year of WCS with you and your family. We would like to share a few highlights from our grade three curriculum with you.

Much of our curriculum follows a transdisciplinary approach. Broad themes integrate subjects and provide a framework for learning, exploration, inquiry and discovery. Some of the themes for grade three are the following: plants and soils; creation stories from around the world; Aboriginal stories and belief systems; early settlers in Ontario; urban and rural communities.

In the First Term, we will ground ourselves by exploring our local urban community. We will be going on many community walks to gather information to create a personal map of our community and a gain a deeper understanding of the structure of an urban community.  Also we begin to learn about the values and insights of the First Nations groups of Ontario, the Anishanabe and Wendat. Through storytelling we well begin to understand about their connections with the Earth.

Through the study of plants and soils the grade three students will explore composting and vermiculture as well as planting and growing plants. Our major project for our first term will be researching greenhouses with the classroom goal to propose and build a greenhouse. We will research possible stable structures and write a proposal for funding to build it.  Our field trips related to this theme include are Allen Gardens and the Toronto Botanical Gardens. At the end of the year the students will open a garden market and sell the plants that they have grown.

In the winter term, we will study when the pioneers came to Canada, and their interactions with the Aboriginal communities. We will be spending a lot of time outside, imagining what is was like for the early settlers and engaging in hands-on activities like spinning wool, knitting a hat, making paper, making candles. We will also be visiting the Pickering Pioneer Museum, and participating in a Pow Wow at the Skydome.

In the spring term, our focus shifts to learning about rural environments in Ontario, and farming techniques. We will move into our greenhouse to grow plants, that will eventually be planted in our school community garden in late May. We will learn from farming and gardening practices of aboriginal communities and early settlers, as well as local organic farmers and farms in the community. This term will hopefully end with a three-day overnight trip to the Wye Marsh (an environmental educational centre), and visits to an organic farm near Midland. We will also visit some historical sights near Midland.

In the spring term, the class will prepare and perform a play from based on an Ojibwa story.

 Grades Four and Five

Welcome to our grade four/five class! We are very excited about embarking on our first year of WCS with you and your family. We would like to share a few highlights from our curriculum with you.

Much of our program follows a transdisciplinary approach. Broad themes integrate subjects and provide a framework for learning, exploration, inquiry and discovery. The following are theme units which will integrate language, math, the arts and media, with science and environmental studies, and social studies. Connected as well are the various subject strands from grades four and five.

Foundations & Journeys

In the first few weeks of school the class will spend time learning and sharing their life and learning experiences. Questions such as who are we, where are we, and how did we get here will be explored. Foundations in math will be strengthened as well, involving the exploration of numbers and a review of the four processes. Community building is a focus, as well as an investigation of the aspects of citizenship. Leadership development will follow throughout the year, as students become peer leaders within our school community and beyond as environmental stewards.

Habitats, Communities and the Ground we walk on

We will walk and explore the local area, gathering information about our habitat and community. As well, the children will explore the rocks and minerals in the area. Students will engage in rock, plant and animal audits to gain insight and understanding of other species we live with, as well as human impact on the area. Within this focus, grade 5 students will study the government structures which serve to protect these habitats and communities, and consider the related rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens. Students may pursue research where they become curious and concerned, while data management, artwork and writing will support and deepen these learning experiences.  A comparative journey through of the habitats across Canada will happen through story telling, including the classic “Paddle to the Sea”, as well as Canadian artwork, culture and resource projects and mapping. The grade five students will create an immigration biography project, documenting  an immigrant’s journey to Canada.

We will journey as a class to various habitats, such as the Rouge Watershed, planting trees and wildflowers, and studying salmon migration. Our class will be partnering with the grade 2 class, planting a butterfly garden, focusing on the plight of the honeybee. In the spring, students will study frequency and probability in these natural environments.

Early & Medieval Culture and Science

Students will embark on a cross-cultural investigation of various early and Medieval cultures and history through myths and legends, with a focus on social justice in these times. Woven throughout will be studies of structures, as well as geometry and fractions. Medieval math and science will be explored through Fibonnaci’s Sacred Geometry and Leonardo da Vinci’s innovations, including pullies and gears.  We will bring the class to life as a Medieval marketplace, and work with student designed money, culminating with a feast. We will focus also on East Indian cultures, making connections with the resources in the local area of Little India. Our group will study the celebration of Divali.

The remainder of the term will include hands-on investigations of fractions and decimals. Also, we will immerse ourselves in Norse mythology and writing our own legends. The science of light and sound will be studied with Scientists in the School and hands-on experiments and an Eco School project raising awareness of the use of natural and artificial light in the school. Students will compliment their sound studies with musical anthropology and building fractional instruments. The culminating project  for the term will focus on Winter Solstice, including making rose windows, and lantern making in preparation for the Festival of Lights.

Human Organ Systems

In term two, students will study the human organ systems, healthy living and measurement. Projects will include 3D modeling, measuring the body and organs, dynamic cooking, and procedural writing, with a focus on grammar and the parts of speech. We will have a visit from the Canadian Peregrine Association and investigate the human impact on the falcon’s reproduction, and the rehabilitation efforts within habitats in downtown Toronto.

Early Mediterranean Cultures

We will dedicate a unit to the ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultures. Students will explore these times and places through short plays, mythology and storytelling, and projects on the various aspects of culture, including structures. Students will explore 3D geometry and angles in their building and planning, as well as time measurement. To balance this, we will spend time outside with snow and ice, measuring capacity, area and perimeter, learning about changes in matter, Canadian structures designed for our climate and natural phenomena, and making eco-art.

Conservation of Energy

This is amazing unit of study, as the possibilities are endless. We will look for opportunities to explore various renewable resources, including visiting sustainable homes that put power back into the grid, learning the ins and outs of solar energy collection, and how to make an impact in our own community. We will compliment this with an investigation into the Ancient Incan and Mayan cultures, and their technologies and artwork.

Novels & Plays

Students will have opportunities to deepen their experience of reading novels throughout the year with independent novel study projects. We will read several novels together in class as well, researching social and historical contexts, and exploring characters and themes through the arts. Our final focus for the year will be African myths, culminating in the play “Sundiata”, an African play adapted for children.

Sandee Waite — full-day Kindergarten Teacher –kindergarten specialist and yoga teacher

Deborah Adelman – half-day Kindergarten and French Teacher – specialist in Waldorf education and French

Karina Filipzcuk – Grade One Teacher – literacy and inquiry-based teaching and learning specialist

Robyn Stevan Matamoros – Grade Two Teacher – specialist in drama, art and handwork and in Waldorf education

Tamara Brodey – Grade Three Teacher – visual arts and inquiry-based teaching and learning specialist

Marcia Mcvean – Grade Four/Five Teacher – music and social studies specialist

Tom Parker – music and gym specialist

The teachers will have professional development throughout the year in outdoor education and environmental studies, visual arts and some teachers will have in-class support with our storytelling program. We will also be collaborating with the Grove School in the West end to develop our environmental education program.

If you did not attend the open house on June 19 we have attached a copy of the letter that was handed out on that day. There were some concerns raised about the suggested $100 donation for the visual arts supplies. This is a suggested donation so feel free to make the choice not to contribute. The art materials that we will be purchasing for each child includes: beeswax crayons, high-quality pencil crayons, water-colour paper and paints, drawing paper and some handwork supplies. These materials are expensive but they last a long time. Each child will receive a set of art materials that they take care of and use as he/she goes up the grades. Visual arts is an integral part of are program and we believe that good quality art materials are essential for our program.

A second concern that was raised by some parents was about the outdoor kindergarten. Some of the school day will be spent outdoors and some of the day will be indoors. On three mornings/afternoons per week, the children have times scheduled indoors for music, gym/yoga or library. The other times in the day will be spent in our outdoor kindergarten classroom. The outdoor classroom will look very much like an indoor kindergarten classroom with centres (dramatic play, writing and drawing, blocks and building, woodwork, cooking, sand and water and inquiry-based math and science activities).

It is our goal in the kindergarten to spend one or two mornings/afternoons per week off-site in nature for our environmental education program. This is a structured program that integrates most of our math and science curriculum into an outdoor environmental program. The afternoon kindergarten class will participate environmental math and science program with the rest of the school. If you would like us to forward you same examples of our outdoor lessons we are happy to do this. We will not begin off-site excursions with the kindergarten until the children have settled in and feel comfortable with the teachers and the school.

As the weather gets colder we will determine how much of the day will be spent outdoors. For example, some activities like painting, drawing or writing are more suited to indoors when the weather is cold. However, we will be experiencing the elements, light rains, snow, but on days when the temperatures are colder than -15 degrees Celsius we will be inside. We will always have the children’s best interests at heart, but there is an expectation that they dress appropriately for outdoor weather, or have clothing available. We have attached a draft version of the weekly schedule for each grade to provide you with a better sense of how the school will run.

School-wide Celebrations

As part of our community building program the school community will come together to celebrate special occasions throughout the year. Each class will host at least two celebrations in the year. These classes will be responsible for the music, storytelling, drama and ritual aspects of the celebration. The celebrations will take place during the day or sometimes in the evening and everyone is welcome to join us during these events. In September we will provide you with specific dates and times for these events.

September – Renaming of school celebration (parent and teacher community)

September – Fall Equinox/Harvest /Eid  (hosted by the grades 2and 3)

October  - Halloween 

November – Dewali lantern festival (hosted by grades 2 and 4/5)

December – Winter Solstice (hosted by kindergarten and grade 1)

February  - School Coffee House

February – Winter Carnival School Play Day

April Spring Equinox/Migration Celebration (hosted by grades 3 and 4/5)

April – Earth Week and Four Elements Celebration April (hosted by grades 2 and 3)

May – Café Theatre – this will be an opportunity for all the classes to showcase what they have learnt in French

June – Summer Solstice (hosted by kindergarten and grade 1)

French Program

We are teaching French to all grades (K-5) through the AIM approach. We have scheduled French instruction two times a week for all of the primary grades and grade 4/5 will have French instruction four times per week. In kindergarten the goal will be to develop a love of learning French through stories, songs and drama. The children will be introduced to the initial vocabulary outlined by the AIM approach. Each word has a gesture so the children we be introduced to the French language through movement.

Starting in Grade One we will offer a structured French program and the children will learn the French language through a sequential and structured approach. This approach integrates drama, dance, games, cooperative learning activities and lots of fun. When the children cross the threshold of the French classroom they will soon learn that they can only speak in French. Deborah will be offering a French curriculum evening in September in order to provide an overview of the program and to show parents how they can support and enrich the French program at WCS. For more information about the program, you can check the AIM Website at http://www.aimlanguagelearning.com.

Drama and Dance

In addition, in third semester each classroom will be involved in preparing and performing a play. The class will choose if they want to mount a full production or present scenes from the play.

Grade 1 – The Magic Horse

Grade 2 – Midsummer Night’s Dream

Grade 3 – Ojibwa Play

Grade 4/5 – Sundiata – An African Play

Music

This year we will not be offering Orff. The students will have some experience with Orff from Tom Parker, our music teacher. This year we will be teaching recorder to students in grades 2-5. The school will be buying the recorders for the children, and parents will be asked to reimburse for the cost of the recorder. This is to insure that each student has a quality recorder to use as they learn to play the instrument.

Physical Education

We will be offering yoga, co-operative games and sports as part of our physical education program. We will be partnering with Roden for co-extracurricular clubs and sports teams.

Thursday Afternoon Arts & Crafts Studio

Every Thursday afternoon following the afternoon recess, the students (grades 1-5) will have the opportunity to choose from a range of craft and handwork activities each term. The activities will range from knitting, crochet, sewing, cross-stitch, weaving, clay and felt-making. The children will work in multi-age groups and the older children will have the responsibility of helping the younger children. The projects will be adapted to meet the needs and abilities of the children.

We are looking for volunteers with craft and handwork skills to help us deliver this program. Please let us know if you are able to volunteer to teach small groups of children how to sew, knit, weave, crochet, loom, woodwork, clay, and felt.

WCS Environmental Education Program

We are very excited about the environment education program that we will be offering at WCS. We have spent a lot visioning and planning what this program will look like and we are looking forward to finally putting into practice. It is not without a bit of trepidation as well as feeling of adventure that we have thought through what a “day in the life” of our outdoor kindergarten will look and feel like. Our curriculum team is very aware that we are all literally trailblazers when we will be journeying out into the natural world building our connection and relationship to the earth. We also feel quite passionate about building and developing our connection and the children’s connection to the earth. It is also interesting to note here that the Ontario Curriculum encourages teachers to teach in the outdoor classroom.

So what does an outdoor classroom look like? The kindergarten children will mostly play and learn in the outdoor classroom. Each day we will set up centres outside for the children explore and discover. Twice a week the kindergarten children will venture off site to experience and learn in a more natural environment.

In the grade school, we have scheduled a once a week environmental studies outdoor afternoon. We will be teaching some of the math curriculum and most of the science curriculum through this program. To provide you with a better idea of what this program will look like we have put together a binder with sample activities for our outdoor environmental outdoor afternoons.

Another part of this program is the environmental project learning. Again we have provided you with a binder with some examples of the environmental projects that the students will participate in. Plants and soils are the focus of the grade three environmental learning project. The grade two environmental learning project is focused on caterpillars and butterflies. Again please feel free to discuss the environmental learning projects with us.

Social Literacy Program

WCS will be adopting a school-wide social literacy program. Our goal is to build a thriving school community. To build this community teachers parents and students will work collaboratively together and learn effective and creative problem-solving skills. The key elements of the program are outlined in the article that we have available in the school. As part of the grade five government and citizenship unit, the grade 5 students will take a leadership role in this program and be trained as peer mediators for the school.

Art Supplies

We will be putting together packages of high quality art supplies for each student, such as pencils crayons, block crayons, water colour paper (to be used in the classroom). These supplies will help us offer an excellent visual arts program at our school. The suggested donation for these supplies is $100. We will be accepting donations in September.

We would like to thank you and your children for embarking on this wonderful journey with us!

Features:

• Auto image rotation
• 256MB of internal memory
• Multi-format card slot
• Full function remote control

Send email bids by July 24 to auction@wholechildschool.ca.

The highest bidder will receive a fantastic looking, powerful digital photoframe and the knowledge that they’re helping support the purchase of material for Whole Child School.  A great combination!

Thanks to Ninedoors Design + Communication (www.ninedoors.com)  for supplying the first auction item. Have an item you’d like to donate? Let us know!

There’s lots to do, much needed in terms of items, time, skill and knowledge … some of the areas where your involvement would be appreciated are listed below. Please let us know how you can assist.

• Sourcing/building/making items such as shelving, cushions, outdoor play items for the kindergarten space
• Liasing with community gardens
• Developing the neighbourhood garden network
• Sharing contacts that support the mandate of the committee 
• Neighbourhood Gardens

We want to provide our children with as many opportunities to be connected with the community and with the earth. What better way to do that then to create a network of community and neighbourhood gardens around the school. If you have a small patch of grass willing to be turned into a small oasis, a large vegetable patch, gardening knowledge but no space, know a neighbour who would enjoy gardening company, then we need to hear from you.

Join our network and help engage the children with what life should be about… digging dirt, enjoying the earth’s bounty and sharing in each other’s company. Email exterior at wholechildschool.ca with your name, contact information and what you’re willing to share.

Kindergarten Space

One of the focuses of the WCS – Exterior Space committee is to create an inspiring Kindegarten area which will be located on the Ashdale side of the School. The cage area that leads into the library will be a storage/staging area that may also be used as a weather dependant gathering spot for activities.

Like the Interior Space committee we kindly ask you to look around your home, or ask family and friends, and see if you might have some of these items that you could donate to Whole Child School. As yet, each of the committees is working with a VERY limited budget, so anything that we can access from within the WCS community of parents and guardians is greatly appreciated!

If you do have items to donate, please choose one of the following two options:

1. Post the item on the TEACHERS FORUM http://forum.wholechildschool.ca/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=34&p=49#p49 (with a photo, if possible) OR
2. Send an email to junyee at yorku.ca regarding the item you would like to donate.

Items Needed

• Outdoor carpeting made from natural material, interlocking foam, recycled plastic (mad mat 6×9) etc.
• Low storage shelves (we’ll put castors on) up to height of 31 inches
• Galvanized storage boxes with lids (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70105975)
• Toboggans
• Snow shovels and brooms for little ones
• Bird feeders
• Dramatic play costumes/items
• Tree stumps:
   - 20 for stools (approx. 12 inches high x 10 – 12 inches diameter)
   - 5 for table bases (approx. 20 inches high x 10 – 12 inches diameter)
   - 5 for table tops (approx. 2 inches x 3 ft. diameter)
• Branches/poles/saplings (relatively straight) that are between 5 to 6 feet long and 1-2 inch diameter (for teepee building)
• Individual seat cushions (real oil cloth):
    – Large cotton canvas (painter’s drop cloth)
    – Linseed oil
    – Fabric/arcylic paint
    – Paint brushes
• Emergency clothing: Boots, Socks, Rain/snow jackets/pants, Shirts, Pants, Mittens, Hats/toques

Thank you for all your support and help as we build the environment that surrounds our children into one that creatively inspires them to love the outdoors and nature.

Not Far from the Tree

Additionally, we would like everyone in our community to consider registering their fruit trees with Not Far From the Tree. The core of our programming is our residential fruit-picking program, where we pick fruit from trees that would otherwise go to waste. We help fruit tree owners make use of the abundance of fruit that their trees offer by dispatching teams of volunteers to harvest it for them.

One third goes to the fruit tree owners, another third goes to the volunteers for their labour, and the final third is distributed (by bicycle or cart) to community organizations in the neighbourhood who can make good use of the fresh fruit. There are discussions to have our school involved with the harvesting of these fruit trees in the fall. If you have a fruit free or know a neighbour who is surrounded by rotting apples, please register or have them register at http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/contact-us/share-your-fruit.

Short Term (until September)
The Exterior Committee in the short term is focusing its work on helping prepare for the school opening in September. The primary areas of work between now and September are:

• Creating recommended clothing lists to support outdoor school activities to help parents plan for the fall (see details below)
• Creating a map of natural assets within walking distance of the school.
• Supporting the Kindergarten teachers with planning materials and storage to support outdoor play and learning
• Building an online forum to collect and share committee ideas for improving the school ground.
• Exploring partnerships with urban/organic farms, community/neighbourhood gardens, and other organizations in developing outdoor experiences.

Long Term – Improving the School Grounds
The plans for the improving the school ground are being held at the brainstorming stage until September.The reason for this is that introducing any new features to the school or even entering a design process needs participation and support from the Roden school community (parents and teachers) as well as the principal.

The process will be very important and thus our first steps towards making more permanent improvements to the school ground will be outreach to the Roden community in the fall and the formation of a joint Exterior Space committee.

In the meantime, background research is being done to document past work on the school ground, past designs, potential design ideas, the roadmap to working with the TDSB and a list of potential partners and contributors.

Ideas, questions or you’d like to join the Exterior Committee?
Send an email to: exterior at wholechildschool.ca

In preparation for the upcoming year, we need to all start thinking about clothing needs. Dressing right for the weather ensures that everyone is comfortable and engaged in the activity they are participating in. 

Dressing Right for the Weather

In the course of an afternoon outside, children can be very physical with times of inactivity where they can get cold. Proper layers can keep children warm when they are inactive, but wick away sweat and water vapor away from the body towards the outer layer where it can either escape or at least not interfere with the layers trapping body heat.

For the active outdoor adult, it has long been the consensus that layering is the best system for comfort and warmth. With multiple layers you can adjust the combination to the weather and the level of exertion and changes in temperature.

Dressing in layers is beneficial in the fall, spring and winter. Fall and spring have a lot of similarities, it can still be warm and mild, but then there can also be rainy and windy days. It can be a challenge to dress because it is not really cold and it is not really hot. The layering system works well for fall and spring, just wear fewer layers.

The Layering System

The purpose of the inner layer (what your mom used to call long johns and t-shirt) is to keep you warm and to allow water vapor to escape and wick moisture away from your body so you don’t get cold and wet. The middle layer must be warm and insulating – suitable for low-level activities as well as for high activities. The outer layer should be windproof, water-resistant but still allow water vapor to escape (breath).

Inner and Middle Layer

Cotton is commonly available and may be used as an inner/middle layer. However, during cold weather cotton may not serve the purpose as well as other materials. Cotton absorbs moisture and holds it next to your skin. Wet cotton doesn’t trap body heat and actually works against you as the liquid in the cotton garment evaporates. When the fluid evaporates, it creates a cooling effect and your body temperature will drop.

Aside from cotton, you can have merino wool, synthetic fibre, and a blend of wool/synthetic fibre. The proper layers of wool can keep kids warm when they are inactive but wick away sweat and water vapour from the body towards the outer layer where it can either escape or at least not interfere with the layers underneath trapping body heat. Wool can in some cases absorb up to 18% to 35% of its own weight in water and still retain its insulation value. Additionally, it also wicks the excess moisture away from your body.
 
Concerns with wool allergies may be addressed through new technologies in weaving and the use of the finest quality wool, such as merino wool. One disadvantage of wool it is more delicate then synthetic fiber, and it tears apart more after use and washing.
 
Synthetic fiber is more robust than wool and can take more punishment both in the world and the washing machine. Synthetic fiber underwear allows water vapor out but has trouble wicking excess sweat away from the skin. It also loses its insulating properties when wet. Synthetic fiber is suitable as a middle layer. Blends of wool and synthetic fiber have a mixture of advantages and disadvantages like synthetic fiber and wool.

Outer Layer

In terms of outer layers, wear rain gear on wet rainy days and wear windproof clothes on other days. Don’t settle on just a jacket, active children need rain pants as well to protect them from getting wet. With proper boots, rain pants and jacket no puddle stands a chance against your little one. The pants can be used when it is not raining, keeping kids clean and dry in the wet conditions of fall, spring and wet winter days.

When it comes to rain gear, choose rain gear made of coated nylon (PU) and avoid PVC base materials. PVC is harmful to both the environment and children.  

During the winter, the question of how to dress for the outdoors is directed towards snow suits. A one-piece suit is best for small children (0-6 years old) because it generates heat and you do not have any gaps where snow or cold air can sneak in. It also creates better movement, allows for more activity and lowers the need for multiple layers, which makes it easier for children to move around.

Choose a snowsuit that is not too big and puffy for small children. Big puffy snowsuits make it hard for children to move around. Make sure the snowsuit is waterproof. We know the two-piece suit is most popular among parents, because you can get more use for the jacket separately. If you choose a two-piece suit, look for bib pants, covering the chest. This way you get fewer gaps where snow and cold air can sneak in.

Additional accessories will also help ensure those extremities that become cold fastest are kept warm.

• Always wear a hat; the head looses a lot of body heat. A hat should be windproof and cover the ears.
• Insure you cover their necks. Use mock turtlenecks instead of scarves - they stay on and don’t pose any risk of getting caught on something.
• Good socks are a must and can be wool, synthetic fibre or a blend of both.
• Boots should be waterproof and big enough so they can wiggle their toes. Waterproof mittens will be warmer than gloves and can be worn on cold wet and snowy days.

The WCS-Interior Space Committee has been meeting regularly and working hard to design and gather resources in order to create a beautiful and stimulating learning environment for all of our children who will be attending Whole Child School. At this point, we would like to share with you the list of supplies and resources that we have put together, in conjunction with the teachers who will be teaching our children.

Please have a look around your home, or ask family and friends, and see if you might have some of these items that you could donate to Whole Child School. As yet, each of the committees is working with a VERY limited budget, so anything that we can access from within the WCS community of parents and guardians is greatly appreciated!

Please also be aware that there is a new discussion forum which is accessible to all of you. It is very straightforward to register and sign in, and it can be found by clicking on the following link:

http://forum.wholechildschool.ca/

This list will also be posted on the forum, under the category “TEACHERS WEBSHOP.”

If you do have items to donate, please choose one of the following two options:

1. Login to http://forum.wholechildschool.ca/ and post the item on the TEACHERS WEBSHOP (with a photo, if possible), OR,

2. Send an email to chisholmd@rogers.com regarding the item you would like to donate.

We thank you very much for helping us to gather together some of these resources and supplies. We know that “It takes a village to raise a child…” so let’s work together to create a beautiful learning space in which our children will grow and explore!

Sincerely,
Whole Child School Interior Committee

1. -Shelves for along the walls for 4 classrooms (Karina to measure)
2. -6 Carpets (rectangular in shape, approximately 8×12 feet, earth colours/natural fabric)
3. -6 Rocking Chairs (adult sized)
4. -2 Water tables
5. -2 Sand tables
6. -3 Wooden Cubbie units (total of 24 drawers)
7. -1 loft (similar to a bunkbed)
8. -4 free standing Painting Easels for Art Studio
9. -1 toy wooden fridge and counter
10.-1 4-seater Painting easel for Kindie
11.-4 Artwork Drying Racks
12. 1 light table
13. -2 Sensory Tables
14.-(3) Felt Boards
15. -2 Puzzle racks
16. -Little wooden barrels
17. -2 standing mirrors
18. -100 coloured carpet squares
19.-Tall standing mirror
20 -Bean bag chairs/soft seating for 4 (to fit in with colour scheme)
-Painting/Water Smocks
-(4) white boards
-5 Globes
-1 Learning Carpet
-Hollow Big Blocks for the Kindie
-Math Manipulatives
-Muliticultural Doll sets
-Connecting Straws (2 sets)
-scoop and wiffle balls
-balls
-wooden jigsaw puzzles

Other Orders
-Handwriting without Tears

Friday, June 19
Roden Public School (151 Hiawatha Road Toronto, ON M4L 2Y1)

OPEN HOUSE
4:30pm to 6:30pm
“visitation time” by class as follows:
JK         4:30-5:00pm
SK        5:00-5:30pm
Gr. 1     5:30-6:00pm
Gr. 2     6:00-6:30pm
Gr. 3     6:30-7:00pm
Gr. 4/5 7:00-7:30pm

FUN FAIR
4:30pm to 7:30 pm

Download the poster here.

Just a few of the fabulous activities include:
- Planting seeds in origami cups
- Storytelling/Musician
- Puppet Show
- Bouncy Castle

If anyone would like to volunteer to help out at the Fun Fair, please email us at social@wholechildschool.ca and we will connect you to the Roden contact.

The Whole Child School Social Committee invites you and your family to join pus in celebrating our new school community!  Sunday, June 7th, 11:30 am to 2:30 pmPlease bring a litterless lunch for your family, picnic blanket, beach and park toys.

A suggested donation of $5.00 (or PWYC) would be appreciated.
Net proceeds will go to class room set-up expenses.

Ashbridges Bay Park – Area 1

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=43.659798,-79.309062

Carlaw Avenue at Lakeshore Blvd
TTC information 416-393-4636

DIRECTIONS TO ASHBRIDGE’S BAY PARK:

Vehicles can enter the Park from Lakeshore Boulevard East at Coxwell Avenue.

Public transit includes the Queen 501 streetcar, Woodbine South 92 and Coxwell 22 buses – the Park is only 10 minutes walking distance from the bus stop.

Pedestrians and cyclists can reach the Park from the Martin Goodman Trail and the Beaches Boardwalk.

DIRECTIONS TO AREA 1 OF THE PARK:

Coxwell Avenue turns into Ashbridges Bay Park Road south of Lakeshore Boulevard East.

Take Ashbridges Bay Park Road and go south into the Park and past the parking lot.

At the parking lot Ashbridges Bay Park Road turns into a path.

Continue on the path and, just past the washrooms on the left and up a little hill, you’ll come to Area 1.

The WCS Transportation Committee is conducting a survey for those who are interested in the transportation of their children to and from Whole Child School.  Transportation for WCS is not provided by the TDSB.  It is very important that we receive your response as the results of the survey will determine the feasibility and direction of the WCS Student Transportation System.  Please take the time to complete the survey, which should only take a few minutes.  The survey deadline has been extended until midnight on Thursday, May 14th.

Please use the following link to start the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ETsMf7TbOpKRvem1BSz5cQ_3d_3d

We will be working towards creating the most efficient, cost-effective and safest transportation system possible.  At this time, “transportation” means some form of organized, communal transportation for our children to and from WCS, e.g. chartered school bus, kid taxi, carpool, etc.

We are working initially towards a busing program with one morning pickup and one afternoon drop-off. If you have children in JK/SK half-day programs, please include them in the survey as we will try to accommodate if there is sufficient interest.
Please note that by completing the survey, you are not committing to or signing up for transportation at this time.

Thanks – The WCS Busing Committee.

Privacy:  Your information will be used solely for the purpose of planning the WCS Student Transportation System and keeping in touch with you about it.  Your personal details will not be used for any other purpose

This is where the parent community will start to take their role in shaping the school. The organizing committee will outline the work that needs to be done by September and early in the school year. And we want to hear from you about where your interests, skills, and passions lie as there will be many opportunities to get involved. This is also the first chance for the parents of registered students to meet each other, connect, and start developing a community around the school.

We respectfully request that you make your own childcare arrangement for the event, as it will not be possible for us to provide child-minding for everyone’s children. If you have no other option, please let us know before March 27 at (provide dedicated email address here) as we will have a few limited spots available for emergency situations.

We look forward to seeing you on the 6th, as we take this exciting step in the growth of our new school.

When Whole Child School opens in September 2009, we will be offering the following grades:

3 combined JK/SK classes
1 Grade One class
1 Grade Two class
1 Grade Three class
1 Grade 4/5 combined class

There were, unfortunately, not enough applicants to consider a grade offering in 2009 at the 6, 7, or 8 levels.  However, we look forward to growing together as a school into a full JK-8 offering in the coming years.

If you are notified of your acceptance, you will be asked to make an appointment to register your child during the week of March 2-6.  To make this registration, you will need to come to Roden Public School in person with the required documentation.

We expect to be in a position to extend second-round acceptances later in March.

Due to the fact that we need to make over 300 phone calls this week, we respectfully request that you do not contact Roden Public School with questions regarding the status of your application.  Also, we request that you do not send registration and acceptance inquiries to the WCS website address as we will not be able to respond to them for the next 2-3 weeks.

Due to the high volume of Whole Child School applications we have received, we are still working through the process of school organization (i.e. which grades is it feasible to offer).  We will be notifying all parents of the status of their applications (accepted or waitlisted) by early next week.  Please be aware that we have received over 320 applications and we will only be able to issue acceptances to approximately half that number of applicants.  We expect to share the full results of the WCS lottery with you in the next few days.

Thank you for your patience and support of the Whole Child School.

Sincerely,
WCS Organizing Committee

We knew our community yearned for holistic education, and we knew our community was growing.  But the overwhelming support, enthusiasm and encouragement we received last night took our breath away – thank-you!

First one housekeeping item:  Registration packages (and instructions) are now available online (click here).  Although we are so embarrassed to have run out on Thursday night, we are equally so thrilled to have run out.  This is exactly the type of community response that creates the wildly successful alternative schools TDSB is so well known for!

And one clarification:  WE WILL OFFER GRADES 5-8 in 2009 IF THERE IS ENOUGH DEMAND FOR THESE GRADES. Based on our survey results, we knew we’d have enough K-4 registrations to offer these classes in 2009.  Based on the response last night, we may be able to offer additional grades even sooner than we expected (dare we try to hit it out of the park in year 1?)

But most importantly: Your fabulous feedback has revealed there is still a good amount of curiosity around how WCS will look in the early years and how a holistic education experience happens during the “building” phase.  It’s very much the same (minus some of the bells and whistles), but it also has some really juicy opportunities that may not be obvious (unless you’ve lived and breathed WCS for the past 3 years).  The key to remember is that it is about the delivery – and not dependent upon specific props.

So we’ve zeroed in on this for now, but please keep sending in your comments and questions.  We know a 2-hour information session can only do so much, and we’re here to help you in your decision-making process in any way we can.

Why Choose WCS Now?  Is WCS a Good Fit for My Family?

September 2009 brings the bulk of our vision to life.  The “best of the best” philosophy and curriculum will begin on Day 1.  WCS is born, has passed through infancy and is on the road to adulthood.  And just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to create a community.

You are that village. By September, the committee that’s been sending you these emails won’t exist any more (which is not to say that the individuals on the committee won’t still be very involved). By filling out an application, you are signing up to carry on the work we started.

Some of the elements of the holistic evolve over time.  While the TDSB budget will cover some of the materials and facility improvements, others will require fundraising activities and the participation of our school community.  While the building and grounds are in place, material improvements will be planned in consultation with our parent community and our Roden family – and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

We want to make clear that the curriculum committee will have a complete holistic curriculum prepared that the teachers can start using on day one.

Although we will actively work with you to enhance and grow our school as quickly as possible, we are also very mindful that this process may be the single greatest enrichment opportunity in the history of the school.  And we will stop to smell the roses along the way.

Building a school with the community has a direct and profound connection with the philosophy and values of a holistic education.  The garden project is an excellent example of a unique learning experience we are so excited to be able to offer.  Families enrolled in the early years will be able to participate in planning and building the garden that will later enhance the school’s set of learning tools.  Children will learn in the very space they helped to create – all the while knowing that they and their families and their community worked together to create something out of nothing.

So WCS in the early years will be an ideal school for those parents who are looking to develop deep bonds with the community – parents who are excited by the opportunity to build a school for their children with their children.  Families will witness the fruits of their labour with each passing month – to see their incredible legacy unfolding before their eyes!

And thus, the whole child shall begin to grow …

We’ve also added a draft of a document containing a curriculum overview for teachers on our documents page.

Toronto, ON., January 22, 2009 – The Whole Child School (WCS) organizing committee is proud to announce the registration and information night for this new alternative school, expected to open in the fall, in Ward 15 (Toronto-Danforth).

WCS will be located within Roden Elementary School, which has a current student population of 300, and whose principal Teresa Tafaro, will be shared with WCS. On Thursday February 5^th, an Information Night will be held in Roden’s school gymnasium, at 151 Hiawatha Road, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Attendance is mandatory for any parents who wish to apply for the 2009-2010 School term, as registration packages will be given out, and will not be available elsewhere. Further details around curriculum and pedagogy will be shared, and childcare, school resources and fundraising are some additional topics that will be covered. Tours will also be offered following the presentation.

Whole Child School believes that a new set of skills is necessary in order to address many current social, political, environmental, and economical issues. These skills include imagination, openness, collaboration, adaptability and flexibility. Because education plays a key role in preparing children to become engaged citizens, WCS believes that it is time to rethink how they are taught.

WCS will use innovative teaching methods to nurture and educate children in a multi-cultural, urban environment. Academic excellence will be achieved through an arts-integrated and experiential-learning curriculum. The learning approach, informed by holistic philosophies such as Waldorf education and inquiry-based learning, addresses the whole child – their intellectual, physical, psychological, emotional, interpersonal, moral and spirited potentials.  This approach ultimately promotes the development of healthy, responsible, creative human beings.

HTML clipboardA great deal of research and planning has gone into this process, which began with a Letter of Intent and a School Proposal to the TDSB, in 2007. Last year, progression of the application lead to the development of a “Day in the Life” piece, and a series of TDSB reviews. The success of this application process has been long awaited and well deserved.  Above all, it has opened up a whole new world of wonder and possibility to the children of Toronto’s Public Schools.

Attendance at the information night is mandatory for those wishing to register a child at Whole Child School.

The Whole Child School information night will be held at 7:00 PM on Thursday the 5th of February, at Roden Public School, 151 Hiawatha Rd (near Gerrard and Coxwell – map).

We are using your questions and survey responses to make sure our presentations are as informative and useful to you as possible.

Thank you for your continued interest and support. We look forward to talking with you on the fifth.

Hello,

As a parent who has expressed an interest in the Whole Child School, we are excited to let you know that Roden Jr PS (151 Hiawatha Road) has been identified as the location for Whole Child School.  With the support of the community, there is now an extremely high likelihood of a September 2009 opening for WCS.  Therefore, we are currently planning for an Information Night (tentatively scheduled for the evening of Thursday February 5th, 2009) where full presentations will be made and registration packages will be distributed.

As we formalize the agenda for the WCS Information Night, we need to get a better understanding from our parent community about registration intentions, caregiving needs for WCS students, and school transportation planning.  We ask that you please click here [Edit: the link has been removed, as the survey is now over] to fill out a brief survey that will help us collect the required information.  It should take no more than 5 minutes and only one member from each family should fill this out.

Thank you for your continued support and interest…we are in the home stretch!

WCS Organizing Committee

There will be a craft table where all ages will make beautiful paper
lanterns, as well as other craft and painting activities.

And we will have storytellers and musical performers.

[Edit: The schedule of performers has changed from what was originally posted here]

Throughout the afternoon we will have music from the Polka Dots and stories told by accomplished storytellers Harriet Xanthakos, Erica Webster, Sally Jaeger, Carol Ashton, and Wendy Tinkler. The Polka Dots will start things off and return at other points in the program.

You can find a copy of the poster at the following link if you want to
post it somewhere (or see what a paper lantern look like).

http://www.wholechildschool.ca/festival-poster.jpg

Those of you who use Facebook or Twitter and prefer to get your
reminders about upcoming events that way can use the following links

Our Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/wholechild

Our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toronto-ON/Whole-Child-School/33786070786

The Whole Child School Winter Festival on Facebook Events:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=33830626841

Here’s another update on our progress.

The TDSB has proposed that Whole Child School share the building of Roden Junior Public School on Hiawatha Road near the corner of Gerrard and Coxwell. The principal of Roden (Teresa Tafaro) would be the principal of Whole Child School.

Here is the TDSB’s web page for Roden: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/scripts/schoolasp.asp?schno=5269

The TDSB has formed a Program Area Review Team to consult the community regarding the placement of Whole Child School at the Roden location.

If consultation with the Roden community goes well, we would be on our way to receiving approval from the Board for Whole Child School to open in September 2009!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: We have booked the Withrow Park Club House for a family social gathering for supporters of Whole Child School on November 30th. Stay tuned for details

Thank you for your continuing support,

The Whole Child School organizing committee

Moira MacDonald has written about Whole Child School in her column in
today’s Toronto Sun. You can read it here:

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/moira_macdonald/2008/10/28/7226286-sun.html

While the article speaks only of Waldorf and not the other educational
philosophies that inspire our approach to education, it is very
positive about Whole Child School.

We are thankful that our proposal for Whole Child School has been approved by the TDSB’s Central Feasibility Team and the board will now form a Program Area Review Team to do public consultations about Whole Child School. Stay tuned for more information on when and where.

Thank you for your support. We’re getting closer to making this a reality.

Sincerely,
Whole Child School organizing committee

• get the latest news on our application to the TDSB
• meet and get to know some of the other parents who are interested in Whole Child School
• get a more in-depth understanding of what the Whole Child School will be
• show your support for our application

Second, we have some reading that will interest you. We recently submitted to the TDSB a description of “A Day in the Life” of Whole Child School and we have posted it on our web site. This document will give you a more real (and exciting!) understanding of what the Whole Child School is all about. We would encourage you to read “A Day in the Life” before the community meeting, so that the discussion at the meeting can be as rich as possible.

Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday,
The Whole Child School organizing committee

We would like to extend an invitation to all parents to attend an information evening regarding the Whole Child School.

The purpose of the evening is an update the Parent Community on our application to Toronto District School Board to open a new, holistic elementary school in Ward 15 (Toronto Danforth).

Please mark Wednesday June 11, 2008 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at the auditorium of Eastern Commerce CI in your calendars.

Eastern Commerce is located at 16 Phin Avenue, just west of Donlands Ave. and south of Danforth Ave. (map) The closest subway stop is Donlands. The auditorium is to the right as you enter the front doors of the school.

We look forward to seeing all of you and updating you on our progress.

Warmly,
The Whole Child School Organizing Committee

Here is an update on the latest news from the Whole Child School.

Our proposal has gone to the next level and will be reviewed by the TDSB’s Central Feasibility team. This is the group that will be determining where our school will be located.

The TDSB is asking us for more information about the parents who are interested in Whole Child School and where the students will be coming from. This is especially key in choosing a location. We have developed a new survey to help collect this information. We are asking that everyone fill out the new survey (even though you filled out the previous one—thank you for your ongoing support and participation!).

Please visit this page and fill in the (quick, one-page) survey as soon as you can:
[Edit: link to survey removed]

NOTE: Keep in mind that we are now proposing that Whole Child School be Kindergarten to Grade Seven in the first year.

We apologize for the delay between our supporter updates. A lot has happened since our last update at the community meeting held in October 2007, and we are very grateful for your continued patience and support.

We can now provide you with some long awaited answers. While they may not be what some of you were hoping for, there are many positives to share with you all.

The Local Feasibility Team meeting in mid-November was, in summary, very positive. Superintendent Jill Worthy confirmed she sees merit in the Whole Child School proposal and is intending to take it forward to the Central Feasibility Team for their consideration. Jill’s support of our proposal is critical and we are glad to have it.

One disappointing note from the LFT meeting was the School Board’s inability to accommodate our goal of opening the school in September 2008. The new process for approving alternative schools will take longer to complete than originally expected and cannot be completed in time for opening this year. Although many members of the organizing committee found this disappointing, we are heartened by TDSB’s assurances that we are tracking well for a September 2009 opening. This delay in opening the school will actually allow us more time to work through all the details prior to opening, thereby making our first year as smooth and successful as possible.

We will be working over the next couple of months to move ahead with the detailed planning for Whole Child School. Some of the things we are currently working on include:

a.. A written description of a “Day in the Life” of Whole Child School
b.. Our holistic approach to assessment
c.. Our plans to address diversity
d.. Our plans to confirm supporter community interest and commitment

With respect to last point, we are currently in the process of redesigning our supporter survey to determine specific levels of interest in sending your children to WCS, given the delayed opening date. Please stay tuned for another update letting you know when the survey is ready for completion.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to sending you more regular progress updates in the future.

Warmly,

The Whole Child School Organizing Committee

Below you will find:
1.  News — What we’ve been up to.
2.  An invitation to an information evening on Tuesday October 16th

NEWS

Advisory Board

Over the summer the executive committee has been working on developing an Advisory Board of top educators in the area of holistic education, who will help to shape the school’s approach and curriculum. We are excited by the responses we’ve received so far from those we’ve invited to be on this board. On September 18, we held our first meeting with members and prospective members of the advisory board. We will soon be able to announce the names of those on this board.

Proposal

We submitted a letter of intent to the school board in May. This letter contains a description of the school’s proposed approach and is available for download on the web site. The full proposal is due by September 30th, and we have completed our first draft as of this evening. The proposal will be on the web site in early October, so that supporters will have time to go over it before the information evening on October 16th

INFORMATION MEETING

Dear Whole Child School Supporter,

We would like to extend an invitation to all parents to attend an information evening regarding the Whole Child School.

This evening will be an opportunity to learn about the proposal that was made to the Toronto Distinct School Board for an alternative school within the public school system for the 2008-2009 school year.

Questions and comments generated from the website and from the evening itself will be addressed by various members of the Whole Child School Executive Committee.

There will also be an opportunity to meet Jack Miller a member of the Advisory board for the Whole Child School and the author of the book, Holistic Curriculum.

This evening will give everyone a chance to meet other parents that have shown an interest in the the school and to share the excitement of preparing for the 2008-2009 school year.

Please mark Tuesday October 16th, 2007 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at Ralph Thornton Centre, 2nd floor, on your calendars.

We look forward to meeting all the supporters of this exciting project.

Sincerely.

The Whole Child School Executive Committee

We apologize for the delay in sending you an update on our progress and we really appreciate your patience. We are currently in the thick of the proposal writing stage, as well as developing our curriculum framework.

We ask that you continue to support our efforts and to remain patient with us as we work through this exciting developmental stage. We hope to have more definitive answers in the coming month or two, at which time we will send out another update. We recently added an FAQ page to our site which hopefully can answer some of your questions. I encourage you to read through it before sending an email.

In the meantime, if you have not already done so, we encourage you to complete our online survey so that we can better understand the overall level of interest in the school. This will be extremely helpful to us in our efforts to convince the TDSB that this school must open. The survey can be completed on our website at www.wholechildschool.ca.

We welcome any feedback you have, and will try our best to answer whatever questions you have at this time (that are not already answered on our FAQ page).

P.S. In a related initiative, some members of the Whole Child School committee are part of the Gaia School, a local parent-run Waldorf nursery/kindergarten. We are currently looking to fill a part-time space for a 3-6 year old in the Gaia School. If you are interested, please visit http://gaiaschool.googlepages.com Contact us at gaiaschool@gmail.com or call Alex at 416-465-8618

Thanks and be well,

Kelly Drennan
Whole Child School
Chair, Outreach Program
www.wholechildschool.ca

First off, thank you so much for your support and interest in Whole Child School!  We have been thrilled with the early response to our initiative, and are moving forward enthusiastically with our plans.

In this email, we would like to:

1.  Update you on recent events
2.  Find out more about who you are and your level of interest
3.  Ask for your help to increase our group of supporters

1. UPDATE ON PROGRESS

We’ve begun meeting with local politicians and school board officials to gather information, garner support and further our cause. This has been very encouraging and we have received lots of positive feedback so far. In the coming months, we will be putting together an application for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for review.  It is our hope that with approval of our application, Whole Child School will be launched for the 2008/2009 school year.  Right now, we are in the process of launching a widespread outreach program to grow our list of supporters to bolster our application.

2. PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT YOU

To strengthen our appeal to the Toronto School Board, we’d like to share compelling information on who our supporters are and their level of interest in the idea of Whole Child School.  The more data we can gather on our supporter base (for example: where you live, how many children you have, if you would consider sending your kids to Whole Child School, etc.), the stronger our application will be.  We value your privacy so are only asking a few key questions to help our cause.

With your information, we will be able to draw a clear picture of who this outstanding group of supporters are. If you would kindly visit our website and fill out the additional questions, you will be actively helping to make this school a reality!

To take our survey, please visit:  http://www.wholechildschool.ca/?p=Survey

3. HELP BUILD OUR COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS Lastly, please help us get the word out.  The simple fact is:  the more supporters we have, the better chance we have of being approved by the Board.    If you are interested in this initiative, we’re sure many of your friends, relatives and colleagues will be too!  Simply forward this email to the names in your address book……and we’ll be building an exceptional force for the realization of Whole Child School.

And finally, we appreciate your understanding and patience.  We are a group of volunteers wholeheartedly spearheading this initiative.  It is our intention to update you regularly with emails as developments occur.  However, we do apologize if we aren’t able to respond immediately to your individual emails.  We’re doing our best, but are staying keenly focused on our pressing goal of a winning proposal!

Again, thank you so much for helping to make this happen. As it is said:  ”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” …Margaret Mead

Regards,

Whole Child School Team

p.s. in a related initiative, some members of our team are part of the Gaia School, a local parent-run Waldorf nursery/kindergarten.  We are currently looking to fill a two-days-per-week space for a 3-6 year old in the Gaia School. If you are interested, please visit http://gaiaschool.googlepages.com Thanks so much!